HHS has proposed changes to HIPAA under the guise of “easing regulations,” so that patients diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) or opioid use disorder (OUD) could have their medical records released without their consent.

Sample Comment

“I strongly oppose the proposed changes to HIPAA because the proposed changes extend far beyond the known benefits of coordinated care and will make patient healthcare less safe. [LIST ADDITIONAL PERSONAL OR POLICY REASONS WHY YOU FEEL HIPPA SHOULD BE PROTECTED. THEY SHOULD BE UNIQUE TO YOU.]

[Insert reason why you or a family member or a friend might be negatively impacted by the changes to the rules. Or insert a personal story.]

I urge you to not change existing HIPAA regulations on patient confidentiality.”

Action: Stop our race to a dangerous past. Write a comment here to stop the use of antibiotics as pesticides.

Citrus growers, from backyards to huge orchards, are fighting citrus greening disease, aka “yellow dragon disease“. The disease, which is caused by a pathogen spread by insects, causes discoloration and withering of fruit, making them inedible, and the eventual death of the affected tree. It first reached Florida in 2005 and it now threatens citrus crops across the nation (including Ventura County!), as well as in 33 other countries. There is no known cure yet, but there is one treatment that may be worse for us than the lack of our morning orange juice…treatment with antibiotics that are vital to our health.

The deadline is this tomorrow – Saturday January 19th by 11:59 EST! Go here to comment.

Two proposed rules changes close out today and some continued support for your legislators to do the right thing.

Those of us who aren’t scientists may feel we’re not qualified to write about methane pollution, or offshore oil drilling. Not true. Skim through the postings below to get an understanding of what’s being proposed. Stop and look at the links that interest you and reference them in your posts if you wish.

Your comment can be broad-brush : America’s reputation, our economy, government corruption, unbridled corporate power and greed, the environment, the future. Or just one aspect that affects you deeply: your air, your water, your joy, your health and the health of those you love.

There are no wrong answers. The only wrong action is letting this administration think that we don’t care enough to stop them.

On Tuesday, we asked people to comment on a proposed rollback of CA’s Clean Car Standards (Due 10/26), reminding us that even during the distractions of this election season, the Trump administrations’ efforts to push all of our environmental protections through a regulatory shredding machine, continues without pause. We need to gather our wits, our computers and smartphones, and keep fighting on this moving battle line.

On Tuesday, we asked people to comment on a proposed rollback of CA’s Clean Car Standards (Due 10/26), reminding us that even during the distractions of this election season, the Trump administrations’ efforts to push all of our environmental protections through a regulatory shredding machine, continues without pause. We need to gather our wits, our computers and smartphones, and keep fighting on this moving battle line.

LOS ANGELES: Downtown highrise buildings are shown cloaked in dirty air shortly after sunrise September 11, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. Although air quality in Los Angeles has improved in recent decades, smog levels remain among the nation’s worst. Numerous wildfires in the region have also contributed to Los Angeles’ air pollution problem. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

While Congress is out, the lights are off in D.C., and our president is distracting us before the election with “scary migrants” and imaginary “middle-class tax cuts”…one type of GOP destruction is continuing to roll off the chutes with machine-like efficiency – the removal of rules protecting us and our environment from the rapacious greed of his new regime.